The American Museum of Natural History 



Every community, small or large, needs its Museum as it needs its 

 schools and its churches. The very fact of this independent develop- 

 ment is a proof that the Museum is not one of the luxuries of New 

 York life, but an essential and vital force in the enlightenment of 

 our people. 



The Old Museum Idea was that of a sanctuary or refuge, a safe 

 deposit vault for curious, rare or beautiful objects which might be 

 lost or destroyed; the child or the ignorant visitor was tolerated 

 rather than attracted; the curator was a keeper, not a teacher. The 

 New Museum Idea is a complete fulfilment of Francis Bacon's plan 

 of education as outlined in his "New Atlantis" (about 1617). 



The growing museum influence, which during the past quarter 

 of a century has been especially remarkable throughout the cities of 

 the United States, is largely due to what may be called the New 

 Museum Idea, namely, that the Museum is not a conservative but a 

 -progressive educational force, that it has a teaching quality or value 

 peculiar to itself, that the Museum succeeds if it teaches, fails partially 

 if it merely amuses or interests people and fails entirely if it simply 

 mystifies. 



The new spirit within the natural history museum is the educa- 

 tional spirit, and this is animated by what may be called its ethical 

 sense, its sense of public duty, its realization that the general intelli- 

 gence and welfare of the people are the prime reasons for its existence, 

 that exploration, research, exhibition and publication should all con- 

 tribute to these ends, that to serve a community the Museum must 

 reach out to all parts of nature and must master what nature has to 

 show and to teach. The Museum will flourish if the high educational 

 service of the city and state is inscribed over its portal and instilled in 

 the mind of every member of the staff from the highest to the lowest. 



HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN, 



President. 



The American Museum of Natural History, 

 June 15, 1918. 



